Apparatus for the treatment of textile fibres with a liquid in closed circuit



Sept. 22, 1959 P. SERRACANT RIBA 2,904,934

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF TEXTILE FIBRES WITH A LIQUID IN CLOSED CIRCUIT Filed Aug. 12, 1955- 2 Sheets-Sheei; 1

INVENTOR PABLO SERRACANT RIBA At-t s Sept. 22, 1959 P. SERRACANT RIBA- 2,904,984

APPARATUS F OR THE TREATMENT OF TEXTILE FIBRES WITH A LIQUID IN CLOSED CIRCUIT Filed Aug. 12, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR' PABLO SERRACANT RIBA Att S.

United States. Patent i APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF TEXTILE FIBRES WITH A LIQUID IN CLOSED CIRCUIT Pablo Serracant Riba, Sabadell,-Spain Application August 12, 1955, Serial No. 528,008 a Claims priority, applicationspaln August 14,1954

1 Claim. (Cl. 68-150) This invention relates to appliances employed for efiecting the treatment of textile fibers in a moist condition and in a completely closed system, whereby the dyeing or othertreatments for enhancing the value of the textile fibers, in all forms, can be eifected under excellent conditions, either up to a temperature of 100 degrees centigrade or even above that temperature, due 1 to a special mounting of the dye vat.

The physico-chemical part of the dyeing operation has been greatly improved during, recent years, thereby succeeding, thanks to an increase in temperature, in permitting the dyeing of synthetic fibers and obtaining the finest results for the dyeing in reduced times and at costs raw or in hanks, this material is placed in a basket,

and superposed in layers. If they are crossed bobbins of yarn, these are so located as to form vertical columns, in which one bobbin is situated above the others. This "also applies to bobbins of combed roving, whether of worsted yarn or of cotton or synthetic fibers. A similar case is that of rings of rayon or nylon, which are likewise located one above another in the form of columns. When warp folders or rolled fabrics are arranged in a vertical position there is likewise a superposition of layers of material. t

7 From what is hereinbefore indicated it follows that since the material is in all cases located in a vertical position Within the autoclave, upon the weight of the material increasing by becoming impregnated with the treatment liquid, an irregularity is produced in the density of the material, resulting from the fact that due to the weight, the lower layers of material by being more compressed, acquire greater density, and consequently the pasasge of the dye bath through the said layers is difficult, which unquestionably occasions defects in the regularity of the dyeing.

In order to obviate these disadvantages recourse has been had to various arrangements which tend to solve these problems in the columns of crossed bobbins of yarn. The types of conical or cylindrical tubes are known in which the tube of one bobbin abuts the tube of the next adjacent bobbin, either through the medium of intermediate disc or else directly. When the winding is effected on a spring, cups are utilised which likewise ensure an equal degree of compression between the bobbins of a column.

The earlier solutions have solved the problem with respect to crossed bobbins of yarn where each bobbin has exactly the same density. It in one column there is even a single bobbin of less density, irregularities will be pro- 2,904,984 Patented Sept, 22, 1959 duced because of more dye liquor circulating through this one than through the others.

For rings of rayon and nylon, individual mountings have likewise been devised which obviate this compression due to the superposition of one ring upon the others in the form of a column. Nevertheless, since it may be that the rings do not have a stable geometrical form, it is diflicult to determine a height from mounting to mounting which will ensure a uniform passage of the dye without producing currents of liquor or leakages between rings and separating discs.

With respect to warp-folders, when dealing with industrial units, it is not possible to obviate this compensation in existing vertical autoclaves.

The present invention entirely removes the said difliculties in dyeing, produced in installations in which the dye liquor circulates in closed and forced circulation. It consists essentially in mounting the autoclave, or closed vertical vat in which the materials that are to be dyed or treated are located, so that. it can revolve about a horizontal axis, remaining, nevertheless, in communication with the closed circuit of the dyeing plant in which it is interposed. This vessel is moreover equipped with mechanical elements for causing it to rotate, either manually or by any motor means.

Due to this mounting of the autoclave, it is possible to change the position of the hanks or other masses of fibers or textile materials enclosed therein for the purpose of being dyed, in such a way that those situated first in the lower part, in which they are compressed by those that bear down upon them, pass to the upper part, the weight of the others then ceasing to bear down upon them, and maintaining them temporarily in the space required in order that they may be perfectly impregnated by the dye bath. I

The arrangement of the autoclave in rotary form according to this invention also obviates all the above mentioned disadvantages, since it is possible to annul the weight of some units of material upon the others by being able to locate the autoclave in a horizontal position. It also has another advantage, which is that of being able to eliminate all the usual devices which tend to obviate the compression of one unit by another, thereby obtaining a compensation in each column of material, which tends to regularise the compression automatically, in the event of there being appreciable differences in the various units which compose the assemblage.

This invention likewise has the advantage of enabling the charging to be efiected through the upper part as with present-day autoclaves, and definitely solves the dyeing of warp folders and of rolled-up fabrics, obviating and compensating for any slipping of the yarn or fabrics upon the folder in a vertical position during the dyeing, which has been the cause of uneven color in warp folders, and of the formation of wrinkles or creases in rolled-up fabrics.

It likewise solves in a satisfactory manner the problem of dyeing rings of rayon or nylon without the necessity of resorting to complicated individual mountings, thus obtaining the elimination of leakages of liquor, from not having discs between ring and ring, and a perfect compensation of the whole column of rings, regularising the instability of its form.

It is indisputable that the new rotary autoclave for dyeing combines, with the advantages of the existing vertical autoclave for the charging and easy discharging of the material, the advantage of being able to be situated in the most convenient position during the dyeing in order to nullify existing defects, at present produced by the intrinsic weight of the material, and likewise the advantage of enabling the autoclave, during a single dyeing operation, to be located in different positions, thereby rendering possible innumerable combinations, including the possibility of effecting the dyeing with continuous and more or less slow rotation of the autoclave.

An installation according to this invention for dyeing tfibers by circulation of the dye bath is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the entire plant, the autoclave being shown partly broken away, in order to enable part of the internal arrangement to be seen;

Figure 2 shows a section through the autoclave on a plane which passes through its longitudinal axis; and

Figure 3 shows a similar section of a modified form of construction of the autoclave.

In Figure 1 is represented the whole of the installation, which, except of the autoclave and the mounting, is conventional and is therefore not described in any great detail, in which the liquor that produces the dyeing is circulated by a pump 1, passes through pipes 22, being controlled in its passage by a cock '3, and passes through the autoclave vessel' 4, interposed in the circuit in such a way that it is supported by hollow trunnions 5, which afiord access to the interior of the vessel, and which rest on brackets '6, which are likewise tubular.

Adjacent one of the said trunnions the vessel has a toothed ring or worm Wheel 7, solidly fixed to it, and capable of being actuated by means of a worm 8, with a crank 9. An actuating arrangement of this kind enables the autoclave to be rotated manually at will, usually intermittently. When it is desired that the rotation of the autoclave should be continuous throughout the entire dyeing operation of one and the same accumulation of material, the crank 9 may be replaced by a coupling connecting the worm with any suitable driving means.

The form of construction of the autoclave illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is somewhat simpler in one respect than that of Figure 3 since it is not necessary therein to counterbalance the weight of the autoclave, due to the axis of revolution being at its central portion. Nevertheless this solution does somewhat complicate the connection of the circulating pipes with the autoclave. The articulation of the autoclave 4- is efiected in this case by means of the tubular trunnions 5 supported in bearings 6 and connected to the pipes 2, which it is necessary to extend by the portions 2', in order to reach the inlet 4' of the autoclave 4.

The second embodiment, illustrated in Figure 3, is of simpler construction as regards the pipes, since the portions 2 are not necessary, but it requires the weight of the autoclave to be counterbalanced in its various positions, thereby increasing the cost. As seen in this figure, the pipes 2 the hollow trunnions 5 the brackets 6 and' the worm wheel 7 are arranged in the same manner as in the embodiment of Fig. 2. The autoclave vessel 4 is mounted on the trunnions 5 such that all of it exbeing directly from the trunnionsthrough the opening 4' It will be understood that in the connecting members between the pipes and the autoclave, stufling-boxes will be provided, to enable the autoclave to revolve. The cost of maintenance of these stu ffing-boxes is very slight, due to the rotation of the autoclave being slow and periodical.---

- a 1 Theother members of the plant, such as the pump 1 the distribution valve 3, the heat-exchanger, the sample pot, the expansion vessel etc., may be arranged in the usual mannenprovided they do not hamper the rotation of the autoclave.

It is advisable that for the purpose of cleansing the autoclave, before fiilling it with. liquor, there should be employed, in addition to the normal cleaning hole in the cover, two other cleaning holes one or other of which will be at the top of the autoclave when it is in either of its two possible horizontal positions. 1

The shapes and dimensions of the autoclave vessels and of the articulation elements of the same, and the metals,

alloys or other materials of which they are made, may

be varied without the essence of the invention being thereby affected.

I claim:

In an apparatus for the treatment of textile fibers with a liquid in a closed circuit, the combination of an autoclave vessel consisting of an elongated container having a central imperforate cylindrical tube for receiving around it the textile material to be treated, hollow trunnions on said vessel perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said vessel, a first conduit exterior to the vessel extending from one ofthe two hollow trunnions to one end of said vessel and communicating thereat with said central tube, a second conduit extending from the other hollow trunnion to the same end of said vessel and communicating thereof with the interior of the vessel outside of the said central tube, said conduits, central tube and interior of the vessel outside said central tube defining a continuous and tortuous path which extends from one of the said trunnions through said first exterior conduit, the central tube, the material that is being treated and the second exterior conduit to the other trunnion, and means for rotating said vessel on said trunnions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 408,690 Burton Q Aug. 13, 1889 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,753 Great Britain Oct. 17, 1871 8,043 Great Britain of 1910 156,801 Germany Dec. 15, 1904 235,215 Great Britain 1926 

